Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau marveled at how Tom Brady's passes sliced through a Soldier Field blizzard as if he were facing the Chicago Bears on a sun-splashed September day. That 36-7 rout Sunday epitomized Brady and coach Bill Belichick's 11-2 New England Patriots at their winterized best with Brady throwing for a season-high 369 yards with two touchdowns despite 30-50 mph wind gusts.

How heated has the New York Jets-New England Patriots rivalry become? "It's the best rivalry in football," says former Patriots receiver Troy Brown, a Comcast Sportsnet New England analyst. "It tops the Colts-Patriots rivalry because it's a divisional game. When it comes down to it, you want to beat the best team in your division.